Overview
Master's and Doctoral Degrees in Psychoanalysis Prepare Graduates to Apply Psychoanalysis in Their Fields
BGSP offers a Master of the Arts in Psychoanalysis, Master of the Arts in Psychoanalytic Counseling, doctoral and certificate programs in psychoanalysis, and programs in psychoanalysis and culture. The Master of the Arts in Psychoanalysis program is also offered at the branch campus--New York Graduate School of Psychoanalysis (NYGSP)--in Manhattan, New York.
BGSP prepares its graduates to utilize their understanding of emotional and mental functioning for endeavors that benefit individuals and society. Graduates apply what they have learned to careers in mental health agencies, school systems, universities, profit and non-profit organizations, and private practice.
Three Master of the Arts Programs Allow BGSP Students to Focus in the Area that Is Most Relevant to Them
The Master of the Arts in Psychoanalysis program grounds students in academic psychoanalysis and prepares them for advanced clinical and research studies. Courses are structured to facilitate intellectual and emotional learning.
The certificate and doctor of psychoanalysis programs are designed to provide full clinical training leading to certification as a psychoanalyst as well as a solid foundation in psychoanalytic theory and research. The doctoral and certificate programs combine intellectual and emotional education for the purpose of developing the therapeutic aspects of each student's personality.
The Master of the Arts in Psychoanalytic Counseling program provides students with comprehensive master's-level training in mental health counseling, with a specialization in psychoanalytic studies. Graduates meet the educational requirements for licensure in mental health counseling in Massachusetts and many other states, and can thus begin practicing upon completion of the program.
The Doctor of Psychoanalysis and Master of the Arts in Psychoanalysis and Culture programs promote systematic dialogue between psychoanalysis, critical social theory, and cultural analysis. The distinctive character of the programs is their emphasis on crafting new theoretical and methodological links between psychoanalysis, social sciences, humanities, and cultural studies. Students in the programs are exposed to new conceptions of psychoanalysis and culture and to new methods for their interdisciplinary study. These interdisciplinary programs allow graduates to apply knowledge from a number of fields in order to inform the progress of human thought.
BGSP's Innovative Approach to Psychoanalytic Education Blends Emotional and Intellectual Learning
The school follows Freud's philosophy that people from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds are eligible for psychoanalytic education. BGSP's doors are open to any capable and motivated post-bachelor's student who is interested in understanding unconscious forces.
BGSP's unique approach to psychoanalytic education is based on the idea that the freedom to be oneself, a basic principle of psychoanalytic treatment, can be applied to the teaching and learning of psychoanalytic concepts. At BGSP, intellectual learning is integrated with emotional understanding by using the dynamics in the classroom to underscore theoretical concepts. This emotional learning process is unique to the school and is a key success factor in the development of the therapeutic skills required of an effective psychoanalyst.
Experienced, Active Faculty Members Who Are Dedicated to Teaching, Interacting, and Consulting with Students
The faculty at BGSP represents the single greatest resource for fulfilling the mission of the school. BGSP appoints senior faculty members who are both committed teachers and are deeply engaged in the practice and/or research of that which they teach. Faculty members have taught both in psychoanalytic training institutes and in university and graduate settings.
Faculty members also have administrative experience in mental health settings, psychoanalytic institutes, and educational departments within colleges and universities. Research faculty members are available to doctoral students for research consultation. These faculty members have expertise in neuroscience and clinical neurobiology, in statistics, and in traditional social science research methods.
A Diverse Student Body Allows BGSP Students to Share Ideas and Perspectives with Each Other
BGSP's small but diverse student body comes from all over the United States and 25 foreign countries. Students represent a wide variety of professional, racial, cultural, religious, socioeconomic, and ethnic backgrounds and speak a dozen foreign languages. Yet all students share the same passion: to fully engage in the study of psychoanalysis
BGSP welcomes applicants with baccalaureate and graduate degrees from all educational backgrounds. The admissions committee considers a broad range of factors when evaluating each application, including previous academic work, but also life experience and motivation to study psychoanalysis. An important qualification for admission is an interest in self-understanding, as well as a readiness to work at the graduate level.
